There have been quite a few devices introduced to the market in the last few years to help people to track their sleep habits at night and their weight loss activities during the day. Feedback that these devices give can help someone to become more active or get a better night’s rest and indeed some of them are quite valuable. On the other hand some of these devices haven’t exactly lived up to their hype and, as is a problem with some new device technology, were jumped on quickly only to be found a bit lacking.
Wired magazine, one of the most trusted sources for new computers, electronics and gadgets, just wrote a review about a new sleep and activity tracker called the Fitbit Flex and they actually gave it a 9 out of 10 rating, or nearly perfect. That caught our attention enough to bring you, our dear readers, this blog about the Fitbit Flex today. TGIF indeed. Enjoy.
The new Fitbit Flex is similar to the Fitbit One but it is considerably smaller and doesn’t come with a display. Rather than having to clip it to your belt or wear it on your pocket (some women even where theirs on their bra) all you need to do is slide the rubberized wristband that it Flex fits into over your hand like a bracelet. (It’s similar to those LiveStrong bracelets that used to be so popular until a certain Tour de France winner was ousted as being a really, really big jerk.) What the Fitbit Flexlacks in design it makes up for and wearability. Once you close the clasp it is locked firmly on your wrist, has no parts to lose and can be worn in the shower (although isn’t completely waterproof). The basic model comes in black but you can also buy a three pack of colored wristbands to put your Fitbit Flexinto if you want to shell out an additional $30 bucks.
Wired says that it has a long battery life and can last for up to two weeks on a single charge. One of the reasons for this is that it talk to its App (included) using a low energy Bluetooth connection and a USB dongle that you place either on your computer, your iPhone and some Android devices. If you attach it to your smart phone the information from the Fitbit Flexwill trickle down to it all day long and give you feedback on where you are as far as any goals that you are trying to reach. Tapping on the Fitbit Flexwill activate it and give you up to the minute information that you want, instantly.
As far as Wired is concerned the best thing about the Fitbit Flexis that, once you put it on your wrist, you’ll soon forget about it. That’s because an activity tracker should be something that fits into your lifestyle without annoying you. Of course the reason to get this device is to get the feedback that you need to be able to see your weight and body fat percentage and know if you’re keeping up with your diet as well as find out how many calories you have burned that day (and other weight loss / diet / activity information). The Fitbit Flexcan also let you know what the total amount of calories that you can eat per day are, based on your activity, and also how many you have left until you reach that number. They find that this is one of the few drawbacks in that you have to be dedicated in order to keep up with entering this information.
As far as sleep tracking they also find that the Fitbit Flexis very good in that it will report back to you every morning about your sleep activity (as any good sleep tracker should) and also has a built-in vibrating alarm to wake you up in the morning. Sleep tracking is very trendy right now, especially among a types who don’t get as much as they should and, in Wired’s opinion, the Fitbit Flex is one of the best on the market for doing it.
So if you’re looking for an activity / sleep tracker that has a great app, Bluetooth capability, blends seamlessly into your lifestyle, works with your smart-phone and also looks good whether you’re in the boardroom or at the gym, the Fitbit Flex seems to be the device to beat.